ORNITHOLOGICAL EXPLORATIONS. 19*7 



moult their feathers, an observation fully sustained by my specimens. 

 In the birds shot in July and August, before shedding, the middle claw- 

 measures 18 to 20™°', while in a specimen shot on the 23d of August, 

 and which has just thrown the old ones away, the length of the new 

 claw is only II™™. Most interesting is, however, a male, shot the same 

 day, as it has the claws ouly half shed, the old claws having loosened 

 from their base and forced 2 to 3™™ out, still covering the tip of the new 

 ones, except on two of the toes, in which they have already fallen off 

 (No. 89062). 



The old tail-feathers, the white ends of which are wholly worn away, 

 are shed a little later, and replaced by new black ones, with broad white 

 terminal edges in October specimens. 



A similar change takes place in the plumage of the females, as the 

 first broad-barred plumage is succeeded by a finely mottled garb, which 

 they assumed later than the males, and which does not seem to reach 

 its full development, as the white feathers protrude before it is finished. 

 In spring the moult of the females commences earlier and takes place 

 more rapidly than in the males. 



Since the preliminary report was written I shot another male, on the 

 19th of October, which at a close examination fully convinces me that 

 there is no distinct third summer plumage, in this species at least. 

 Strange enough, I at first regarded this specimen as a proof against 

 this opinion, so that at one time I really believed in a third summer 

 plumage, as maintained by Professor Newton, because the aspect of 

 the bird, on a superficial look, certainly seems different, especially 

 lighter. But if placed alongside those shot in August it will be seen 

 that the brown feathers on the back are exactly like those of the birds 

 in the perfect dark plumage, and that the light appearance is caused 

 by the new white feathers which are protruding from below the brown 

 ones and shining through them. 



I believe that this is the explanation of the third summer plumage 

 in the allied forms also, and the material at hand seems to indicate the 

 same. I am led to this belief by the fact that L. ridgwayi is the species 

 which seems to have the most highlj' developed dark plumage of all 

 forms known to me; fuither, that it, more than others, shows a tendency 

 to retain a dark color even in winter,, consequently warranting the 

 presumption that it ought to have the third fall plumage, if such a thing 

 occurred at all among the allied species. 



This tendency to assume a dark color in winter needs further ex- 



